Advising Students

All courses taken abroad through a SHU or SHU-Affiliated study abroad program will count towards a student’s general graduation total. These courses, excluding those taken on CCIS programs, also factor into the cumulative Grade Point Average (courses are not available for Pass/Fail). The student is responsible for ensuring that a course taken abroad can be applied towards a major/minor/general education requirement. Major/Minor courses must be approved by the department head and general education requirements must be approved by a dean. The Office of Study Abroad is working to develop a course equivalency database to facilitate this process.

Faculty Liaisons

Each academic department and program has assigned a faculty member to serve as the Study Abroad Liaison. The faculty liaison is in close contact with the Office of Global Affairs and is apprised of the current study abroad programs portfolio. The Liaison assists students in understanding how a study abroad program will fit into the specific major or minor and sometimes with with students' academic course selections for their time abroad. The faculty liaison also acts as an information bridge between the academic department and the Office of Global Affairs. The list of department liaisons is available here.

Advising

The Office of Global Affairs overseas more than 100 programs in over 30 countries around the globe. Participants in our programs earn SHU credits and grades for their studies, and continue to fulfill their major and minor requirements while abroad without lengthening the degree process. Academic advisors play a very important role in helping our students achieve success in their study abroad experience.

If you would like to learn more about our office, programs and/or procedures for studying abroad, feel free to schedule a “Study Abroad 101 for Advisors” session for your school or department. This is an informational meeting to familiarize the Sacred Heart community with study abroad opportunities.

We are always happy to help you identify programs that are particularly suited to your students’ needs. Please email your request to studyabroad@sacredheart.edu and we will follow up with you as soon as possible.

SHU and non-SHU students are allowed to participate on our programs. Most programs are for undergraduates, but some programs are also offered at the graduate level. All programs require students to be in good academic and disciplinary standing:

The suggested minimum G.P.A. is 2.7, but some programs have higher or lower G.P.A. requirements

Some programs require competency in a foreign language

Summer programs are generally open to students beginning the summer semester after their freshman year

Semester programs are generally open to students beginning the 2nd semester of their sophomore year. Our semester in Dingle is open to freshmen.

*Please check the individual program pages for specific eligibility requirements, as they vary by program.

Once students have accepted the admissions offer from the Office of Global Affairs and have been fully admitted into the program - i.e. successfully completed the second phase of the admission process – The Office of Global Affairs will register them for the study abroad program. This process is automatic; there is nothing students need to do. In order to register them, we use a “placeholder” course. The placeholder course will say “Study Abroad in ______, ___ credits.” For programs held during the fall, spring, and academic year, the number of placeholder credits will be 12. For summer programs, the number of credits students are registered for will depend on the summer program they are attending. Students attending faculty-led programs are registered for the specific course number and credit amount. Summer students, who are applying for summer financial aid, should check carefully that they will be registered as full-time for the summer.

It is important for students to know that once we have registered them for study abroad, all other courses for which they might be registered for that term will be deleted. Thus, if they have been accepted into the Office of Global Affairs but do not wish to participate, it is vital that they let us know in writing immediately. If they do not, there is a good chance that we will register them for study abroad and delete all of their other courses for that term. Please remember, it is the student's responsibility to ensure that his or her status with us is clear. We cannot fix any problems that occur with courses if students to alert us as soon as possible that they do not wish to participate in the study abroad program.

Registering for courses for the returning term

Many students ask how to register for courses for the semester when they return to their home institutions. The process and registration dates/ times are the same - as if they were still on campus. Students should take care to note the difference in time zones when trying to access WebAdvisor.

Course, credits, and grade transfers

All courses taken abroad through a SHU or SHU Affiliated study abroad program will count towards a student’s general graduation total. These courses, excluding courses taken on CCIS programs, also factor into the cumulative Grade Point Average (courses are not available for Pass/Fail). The student is responsible for ensuring that a course taken abroad can be applied towards a major/minor/general education requirement. Major/Minor courses must be approved by the department head and general education requirements must be approved by a dean. The Office of Global Affairs is working to develop a course equivalency database to facilitate this process.

Transcripts

While we are used to having our grades and updated transcripts here in the U.S. almost immediately after taking final exams, this is not the case for study abroad. In most of our program locations. Students' grades will not arrive at the Office Global Affairs for up to 8 weeks after the program end date. Once students' study abroad grades are received, it can take 5 to 7 business days for the grades to be submitted to the Registrar’s Office and entered. When students have completed their programs and once the study abroad grades have been received, we will submit the actual courses, credits, and grades to the Registrar’s Office.